RicodJour wrote:
Right. You can't buy experience. In this case, however, none is
needed (beyond common sense and the ability to work a screwdriver).
As for code compliance, in most of the country you can't buy that
either because it doesn't exist.

Hey! You set your new personal best! You went two whole sentences
before your bull**** started. Well...one sentence and an
ejaculation. Sadly the code thing ruined your record. All 50 states
and DC have adopted either the IRC or the IBC.
Do a little reading and learn something:
http://bulk.resource.org/codes.gov/

Thank you for the update. I stand corrected. While Houston give lip-service
to code compliance, as you point out, there is no practical enforcement
mechanism for piddly violations.

I live in the 3rd largest city in the nation and the city is
indifferent to what you do to your home. Since we don't have zoning,
I can even tear the house down and erect a gas station.

You're in Chicago? Curious, that's the third largest city, they have
zoning and they have at least their share of codes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._by_population
and
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/w...OID=-536883465

You are probably correct. I heard one of the fools running for mayor use the
"3rd largest" moniker and should have known that he was mistaken. I
apologize for leading you astray. Still, people ARE leaving Chicago (one
family I know moved to D.C last January 20th), so, at worst, my numeration
was premature. (Latest figures I could find: Chicago's population shrank by
10% from 2005 to 2007 while Houston's grew by 10%).

I attribute the difference to the number of Walmart stores in each city (0
vs 17).



Perhaps, along with everything else, you are confused about where your
burg fits in the scheme of things. Assuming that you meant the 4th
most populous city, Houston, let's see about Houston's code...nope -
doesn't support your case.
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/...texas/houston/

As far as the zoning thing, yep, there is no official zoning code in
Houston the same way that a bribe is not an official expense/tax.
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c...ract_id=837244

Pretty good article. Thanks for the reference, but it's not particularily on
point. The author says that the common notion of No zoning = Free Market =
Urban sprawl is incorrect. That there are other reasons for urban sprawl and
that Houston is not as "free market" as one might suspect. On the latter, I
agree. We do have giant swaths of suburbia with "deed restrictions." Still,
the majority of the city is "free market;" that is, one can build a
single-family residence in the middle of downtown or a skyscraper in a
single-family neighborhood.


Perhaps you don't like Florida and you don't like lawyers, so here's
another take:
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thre...uston_get.html

I love Florida. I went to law school, so I don't like lawyers.

The reality of our no-zoning city is not dissimilar to towns with zoning.
Heavy industry is clustered near the port or rail lines, multi-family
dwellings (apartments) are slightly off the busy streets, retail shops are
on traffic-dense corner lots or clustered in shopping venues, single-family
homes are in quite spaces. True, you might have a titty-bar next to a church
or a pistol range across the street from an elementary school, but, in
general, it works out.

In my neighborhood, we have a police sub-station in the same shopping center
with a beer joint. Go figure.


Face it, you're full of ****, you give bad advice, and you either lie
about things or you just don't know your ass from your elbow about
building codes and such. It's okay - everybody starts out ignorant.
It's not okay to claim to be an expert on things where you're not, and
it's definitely not okay to give bad advice to people while claiming
to be an expert on things where you are not. Stick with the saw blade
art.


I appreciate the altruism your advice implies - I'm sure you're only looking
to improve the human condition. Still, without attaching blame or praise, we
do things differently in Texas than you do in New York.